Song Roulette

Obscure tracks from Derek Caterwaul

Derek Caterwaul is a promoter of local DIY music and arts events, as well as a DJ—most notably he’s a long-time host on KUNM’s “Music to Soothe the Savage Beast” on Tuesday nights. Appropriately, his contribution of random tracks may be the most obscure this column has seen since its inception a year ago.

1) “Motions” • VHS Head • Trademark Ribbons of Gold

“Glitchy ’80s analog sound—kitsch mashup, with all of the source material coming from VHS tapes. It’s similar to the deconstructions being done by James Ferraro / The Skaters and like-minded folks, but more tightly edited and dancey. Really fun stuff, though this is one of the more low-key tracks.”

2) “Sweet Woman” • Edwin Bruce • Lux & Ivy’s Favorites, Volume 5

“This tune is pretty standard rockabilly, but there are some wild and woolly gems on these roots-rock compilations from The Cramps’ Lux and Ivy. I found them on the incredible WFMU blog.”

3) “Track 3” • Hank Piece • Get Mom

“Several years ago, Portland’s Merrick Foundation played Burt’s and blew away all half-dozen of us that saw them, including most of Fando. Hank Piece is the singer/songwriter persona of four-track ‘apartment rocker’ Steve Davis of Merrick Foundation and Cougar, among others. He’s definitely mining the same pop genius vein as Guided By Voices’ Bob Pollard in a lot of his work, though more lethargic-styled here. Fando’s drummer gave me this, which he may have gotten directly from Davis. So there’s no song titles, and I’m not even sure [Get Mom] is the title of the album, or that it even is an album. Look him up.”

“A goofy take on the legendary dirty toast ‘The Ball of the Freaks.’ Playboy cartoonist, poet, playwright, author of The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends, regular Dr. Demento favorite, writer of hit songs for Johnny Cash and tons of other musicians—is there anything this guy didn’t do?”

5) “Son of Yule” • Jex Thoth • Jex Thoth

“This album from 2008 nails that ’70s stoner/doom rock sound perfectly, complete with Hammond organ and imperious female vocals. This is really good.”